


We're All Family Here

by abandoningship



Series: Listen Universe [3]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-08-30 23:00:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8552884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abandoningship/pseuds/abandoningship
Summary: Tobin and Christen worry about how the team will take the news about Mackenzie.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I actually (don't) hate LittleSass but she asked very nicely for a new fic and I had to deliver. 
> 
> Also, I wanted to get this out quickly so I'm sorry for any grammatical or spelling errors.

Tobin and Christen decided to skip the first camp after learning the news about Mackenzie. They wanted to adjust with Mackenzie before returning back to work. Jill and Dawn did not ask for details and to say the couple was relived is an understatement. Dawn handled the press release that camp because the sophisticated response was something Jill could not come up with even in her wildest dreams. But still, word somehow got out early to the team. As always, the public did not know anything too personal. 

Christen had been gone for awhile already because of her giving birth to Mackenzie. The flow in the camp was thrown off and everyone could see. They needed Christen more than ever. Tobin did not miss a camp even with a newborn and a toddler in her life now. So when Tobin failed to make the list for reasons unknown to the players, chaos broke. Their seats on the bus remained empty. No one was allowed to sit in their row. No one was allowed to sit in their seats usually taken at dinner. But the seating arrangements wasn’t the only thing thrown off. Kelley and Mal for once were missing the two most important people on the team to them. Kelley’s two best friends were not there to comfort the lonely defender. Her optimism and childlike personality were dull this camp. Even the fans could see. 

Tobin and Christen always had a different type of bond with Mal. They were protective of the youngest team member and took over the motherly role in her life when the child was away from her actual mother. Christen made sure Mal followed a checklist and Tobin always calmed both forwards down when their anxiety got the best of them. The first night in camp without her two mentors felt lonely for the young forward. The clock next to her kept changing while her roommate, Sully, moved in her sleep. Just as Mal was going to go crazy from her insomnia, her cellphone buzzed in the nightstand to her left. The forward was too focused on trying to not wake up Andi that she failed to look at who was calling.

“Hello?”

“Hey Mal.”

Mal’s jaw dropped as she threw slides on her feet and grabbed her key to the room. She was out the door quietly before the person on the other line said another word.

“Mal, …..I was hoping you wouldn’t pick up. It’s late”

Mal hung her head in shame and sunk down on the wall next to the door.

“I’m sorry Christen. Everything feels so wrong. I can’t sleep”

The teen heard Christen sigh. Christen was moving around her house, she could tell from the background noise. She heard a faint ‘I told you so’ which was definitely from Tobin.

“C-Chris?”

“I’m still here Mal. I went from Noah’s room to the living room to sit next to Tobin.”

The young forward let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

“I miss you guys. It’s not the same without you.”

She couldn’t seem them, but Mal knew Christen and Tobin were smiling through the phone. She hear a faint click and knew she was just put on speaker. 

“We called for a reason Mal. We’re sorry it took awhile. We called Kelley too.”

Christen’s voiced pierced through her ears.

“Just because we’re not there doesn’t mean we break our routines.”

Tobin’s calmness relaxed the young forward and she felt a smile creep on her face. They didn’t forget their routines they do every camp.

“Thank you. I-I thought you wouldn’t do it because you weren’t here.”

Mal heard a scoff on the other side and she knew it was from Christen.

“Mallory Diane Pugh. We call you every night while you’re at UCLA. Of course we will call you when you’re at camp. Just because we’re not there does not mean we don’t care and gave up.”

Mal’s smile grew as she continued to talk to Tobin and Christen for another half hour. Their routine for the night was finished and Mal felt proud checking it off her daily list. She felt content as she fell back on the hotel bed, sleep quickly taking over.

______

The following camp was two months later and Tobin and Christen’s names graced the roster once again. The overall mood of the team was restored but was knocked down a notch when they saw Tobin and Christen were childless. They gave an excuse that Mackenzie was sick and that Noah refused to leave her side. Most of the team bought it but Mal and Kelley knew when Tobin and Christen were lying. The two knew better than to talk about the actual reason though. Tobin and Christen had told the two the last day of the previous camp. Mal was getting worried and Kelley was pestering for an answer. Tobin broke first, which was expected. They didn’t plan on bringing Mackenzie and Noah anymore now that Mackenzie was deaf. They didn’t want their daughter to feel left out. After hearing this, Kelley and Mal knew they had to do something. But what is what they could not figure out.

_____

 

Mal only had one sworn enemy in her life. Homework. The girl was too much a procrastinator to finish anything on time. Christen has helped the younger forward countless time in trying to break the bad habit. And when Christen helps, there is a success rate. They knew she still had trouble concentrating when she was in camp, so when Mal sat at the table in the team dinning hall with her tongue out in concentration staring at her laptop, Tobin and Christen couldn't help but laugh and make their way over to their honorary child.

"Mal, don't stare at the screen too hard." 

As Christen spoke, Mal jumped in her seat in surprise and quickly shut her laptop. 

"Oh hey Chris, hey Tobs. You guys scared me." 

Tobin and Christen both glanced at each other briefly as if to signal to each other they knew something was wrong.

"What were you doing on your laptop and why were you so quick to close it when we came over?"

Tobin eyed the young striker and Mal squirmed in her seat.

"I- I was doing homework and didn't want you to help me." 

Tobin was taken aback from Mal's response and Christen was shocked Mal admitted such a thing.

"Ouch Mal."

Mal's eyes grew wide in shock as she realized the hurtfulness in her words.

"No, I didn't mean it like that! It's uh... Calculus and I know you don't like math." 

Tobin nodded at Mal's response relieved in her answer. Christen on the other hand eyed the younger striker carefully.

"Nice try Mal, but you don't have to take any math classes for your major. So what's up? What are you hiding?" 

Christen swiftly grabbed Mal's laptop and the young striker squeaked.

"NO!"

Mal's scream caught the attention of the whole room. The whole room froze, even Tobin and Christen after they saw what was on Mal's laptop screen. Christen's jaw dropped and she stared at Mal in disbelief.

"How long have you been doing this?" 

Mal avoided eye contact with Christen in fear of telling her the truth.

"Mallory Diane Pugh" 

Mal looked up and whispered her answer. The team continued to stare at Christen, Tobin, and Mal.

"Two months. Since last camp." 

Christen nodded her head slightly and handed the laptop back to Mal. The eighteen year old hung her head while speaking to her idol.

"It was a team surprise. We're all doing it. We wanted to surprise you and Tobin." 

With these words, Christen looked around the room at her other teammates. They all nodded once they understood what the awkward confrontation was about. Christen just glared around the room with tears in her eyes.

"Who's idea was it?" 

The room fell silent while the veterans’ heads turned to Kelley and the rookies turned to Mal. The defender sheepishly raised her hand. However, she didn't expect Christen to come over and hug her. 

"Thanks Kel. You're the best. I have no words to describe how I feel right now." 

Kelley returned the hug and comforted a now crying Christen. Tobin stayed by Mal’s side and engulfed her honorary child in a hug.

"We all want to do it, Chris. Mackenzie is a USWNT baby and if the hardest part of our job is learning sign language so we can communicate with a family member, then I think I speak for all of us when I say I'll gladly take that task any day.” 

The team started to nod and Tobin started to tear up now too. Mal held the woman close while the team discussed how far they get in their studying.

_____

“MAL BEAR”

Mallory Pugh’s head turned as she saw a three foot blur sprint towards her. The crowded airport was no match for the oldest Press-Heath child. Mal was use to his excitement and watched as he weaved through the adults. Christen cursed under her breath as she tightened her grip on Mackenzie’s hand as Tobin struggled with the luggage. The teen knelt down and Noah collapsed into her arms. Christen caught up with the teen and Tobin was close behind her.

“Noah James Press-Heath! Don’t you dare run away like that again.”

Noah broke out of the hug and looked back at Christen with puppy dog eyes.

“But Mommy, I missed Mal Bear a lot. She watch me the whole time!”

Christen struggle to keep her stern face.

“It was dangerous, Noah.”

Noah rolled his eyes and fell back into Mal’s arms. The teen picked him up and fell in step with Christen and Tobin. The elder forward stared from her son to Mal.

“Noah if you roll your eyes or give me puppy dog ones to get out of punishment one more time, you can’t see Mal anymore.”

Noah glared at his mother and challenged her ultimatum.

“Nuh-uh. You like Mal Bear too much to do that.”

Christen smiled and kissed his forehead.

“I know, but I do not like this rebellion. Mal better stop teaching all of this.”

Mal smirked and quickened her pace.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

.

The Press-Heath family arrived at the hotel for camp in Philadelphia soon after the airport mishap. Noah refused to leave Mal’s side which gave Tobin one less job. It was Mackenzie’s first camp since her complete hearing loss and learning sign language. She had a death grip on Christen and the farther the forward walked, the more she regret bringing her. 

“I don’t know about this. We haven’t step three feet in the hotel yet and Mac is very uncomfortable.”

Tobin pressed a light kiss to Christen’s temple. 

“She’ll be okay. We’re with family.”

The small family entered the team meeting room and felt all eyes on them. The dropped their luggage off to the side with the rest of the team’s and looked for open seats. Jill’s evil smirk filled the air.

“Ahhh, the Press-Heath Family is here. Everyone is now at camp.”

Mal frowned and challenged her coach.

“I’m here too….”

Jill quickly glanced up from her journal to Mal’s eyesight.

“Like I said… The Press-Heath Family has arrived.”

Mal scoffed and Noah squirmed in her arms.

“Mal Bear, you don’t want to be my family?”

Mallory looked down in panic at her tiny best friend. 

“Of course I want to be your family Noah.”

Jill smirked because for once she was right. She cleared her throat and had the room’s attention immediately.

“Ladies… We’re going to have an easy day today as long as there’s no slacking off tomorrow. There will be a couple team bonding exercises today. The first couple have to do with everyone bonding with Mackenzie. After the exercises we will have team dinner and then a team movie night to cure your jet lag. Tomorrow is going to be hell compared to today.”

The team took in Jill’s words and followed the instructions to sit in a circle. Tobin and Christen sat out and watched as a smile graced Mackenzie’s face. The exhausted girl was overwhelmed but felt safe with the eighteen other woman around them. Noah sat in Mal’s lap and next to Kelley. Curiosity and happiness painted his face and Tobin and Christen felt relieved for the first time in a long time. Tobin kissed Christen’s head as she pulled her wife in for a hug.

“It’s all going to be okay. Because this is our family too. We’re all family here and they’ll make sure Mackenzie isn’t left out."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm open to prompts having to do with this series. Anything you guys want to see I will try to write.


End file.
